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Mahalia Smith
About Mahalia Smith
Mahalia Smith has always been passionate about reading, but her journey into writing was ignited by the encouragement of an inspiring English teacher who shared how much they enjoyed one of Mahalia’s short stories, even taking it home to read to their family. This moment planted the seed for what would become a lifelong ambition.
It took time for Mahalia to embrace writing as her true calling, but being a finalist in the Joffe Books Competition in 2021 proved a turning point. It confirmed that her talent for storytelling resonated with others.
With a background as an Occupational Therapist in the NHS, and years of experience in the Mental Health sector, Mahalia draws heavily on her professional insights to shape her work. Fascinated by the complexities of human behaviour, she excels at creating nuanced characters who defy easy categorisation.
Having grown up in Tottenham and as a mixed-race individual, Mahalia brings a rich perspective to her stories. Her characters reflect a variety of racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds, painting a vivid picture of real life. While Mahalia does not shy away from addressing the challenges her characters may face due to race, she aims for these stories to transcend labels and avoid being politicised or reduced to diversity checkboxes. Instead, her focus is on creating authentic, relatable characters that resonate with readers from all walks of life.
“From the first phone call with Spiffing, I felt I was in good hands and I didn't feel pressured into anything.”
Prior to speaking with Spiffing, I was feeling fairly overwhelmed with what I needed to do to get my manuscript out into the world. I knew I needed help!
From the first phone call with Spiffing, I felt I was in good hands and I didn’t feel pressured into anything. I have had a really good experience with the team in general and am really happy with what they have done with my book. It has been a huge learning curve for me! There is no way I could have done it on my own – especially the SEO/marketing side of things!
My book has been out for a few months now and I still get a kick out of seeing it on Amazon, Waterstones etc! I know it isn’t easy getting recognised as a self published author and am thinking about using Spiffing for a loss leader campaign. Currently, I’m looking into Amazon ads and will give that a try. I would also like to expand my website once my next book is completed.
Published by Imp House Press
